11-year-old girl ‘handles her own’ on middle school’s football team

ST. LOUIS (KMOV) — A 6th grade girl in St. Louis is making a name for herself on the football field.

Taylor Ward is an 11-year-old girl on the offensive line for the Crunchtime Seminoles.

The team is part of the North County Youth Association.

In 2017, Taylor and her team were invited to play at the World Youth Football Championships at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Ward credits her family with her interest in football.

“It started when my step brother tried football. He convinced me to play football so I tried it,” Ward said.

Ward’s coach Tabari Wayne said she is a focused player on the field.

“Taylor does not play. She gets in the stands, it’s football time, everything else goes out the window,” Wayne said. “Then when the whistle blows, she might go dancing back to whatever. But she handles her own.”

Taylor says she’d like to continue playing football until 8th grade and she may also decide to play in high school as well.